Senior Consultant
Penny Whiteheart, Senior Consultant, is Creative EDC’s enlightened change catalyst bringing unique solutions to economic development challenges. Penny joined Creative Economic Development Consulting, LLC in 2016. She develops out-of-the box strategies, leads economic impact analysis, and provides expert facilitation support for CEDC’s clients and internal projects. Penny authors many of the firm’s blogs and research papers. With more than 30 years of experience in economic development, she brings her expertise in regional innovation and cluster strategies, talent attraction and workforce development, marketing, and international trade to our team.
Penny’s background includes promoting and managing Foreign Trade Zones, regional and state-wide cluster development, strategic planning, talent recruitment and development, and demographic and economic analysis. She is a frequent speaker on regional economic trends and strategy, international trade, and aerospace and advanced manufacturing clusters.
Penny has spent more than 20 years in strategic leadership for regional economic development. She has managed programs for communications and media, business development, and marketing as well as administration and program evaluation. Her sreas of interest include connecting higher education and economic assets; international trade strategies; and place making and branding. She currently serves as Executive Vice President of the Piedmont Triad Partnership in Greensboro, NC.
Prior to working in a regional approach, Penny was research manager and vice president of economic development in a local economic development program where she experienced the passion that drives cities and counties to advance economic prospects for their companies and residents.
More about Penny:
- What is your favorite place to travel? – Anyplace I have not been before!
- When you were in kindergarten, what did you want to grow up to be? A marine biologist.
- Name three things in your refrigerator right now. – Almond milk, jalapeño stuffed olives, Duke’s mayo
- What was the first concert you went to? – REO Speedwagon and Styx! Or, was it Styx and REO Speedwagon?
- What excites you about your work? – Learning about communities’ assets and opportunities. Thinking about colliding trends in the future.